US Fisheries Statistics for 2008 Revealed

US - Commercial landings by U.S.fishermen at ports in the 50 states were 8.3 billion poundsor 3.8 million metric tons valued at $4.4 billion in 2008a decrease of 983.4. million pounds (down 11 per cent)and an increase of $191.6 million (up 5 percent) comparedwith 2007, says the US National Marine Fisheries Service,Office of Science and Technology.

Finfish accounted for 87 percent of the
total landings, but only 51 percent of the value. The 2008
average exvessel price paid to fishermen was 53 cents
compared to 45 cents in 2007.

Catches of Alaska pollock, Pacific whiting and other
Pacific groundfish that are processed at-sea aboard U.S.
vessels in the northeastern Pacific are credited as landings
to the state nearest to the area of capture. Information
on landing port or percentage of catch transferred
to transport ships for delivery to foreign ports is unavailable.
These at-sea processed fishery products, on a round
(live) weight basis, exceeded 1.1 million metric tons in
2008 and comprised less than 30 percent of the total
domestic landings in the 50 states.

Commercial landings by U.S. fishermen at ports outside
the 50 states along with Internal Water Processing (IWP)
agreements (see glossary) provided an additional 250.9
million pounds (113,886 metric tons) valued at $89.9
million. This was an increase of 58 percent, or 92.6
million pounds (42,048 metric tons) in quantity and $27.4
million (44 percent) in value compared with 2007. Most
of these landings consisted of tuna, and swordfish landed
in American Samoa and other foreign ports.

Edible fish and shellfish landings in the 50 states were 6.6
billion pounds (3.0 million metric tons) in 2008a
decrease of 856,700 thousand pounds (389 metric tons)
compared with 2007.

Landings for reduction and other industrial purposes
were 1.7 billion pounds (767,639 metric tons) in 2008
a decrease of 7 percent compared with 2007.

The 2008 U.S. marine recreational finfish catch (including
fish kept and fish released (discarded)) on the Atlantic,
Gulf, and Pacific coasts was an estimated 463.9 million
fish taken on an estimated 84.8 million fishing trips. The
harvest (fish kept or released dead) was estimated at
196.7 million fish weighing 247.6 million pounds.

World Landings

In 2007, the most recent year for which data are available,
world commercial fishery landings and aquaculture production
were 140.4 million metric tonsan increase of
3.2 million metric tons compared with 2006.

China was the leading nation with 32.8 percent of the total
harvest followed by India and Peru with 5.2 percent.
Indonesia was the fourth leading producer with 4.5
percent and the United States was fifth with 3.8 percent.

Prices

Exvessel price indices increased for 26 out of 32
species groups being tracked, decreased for 5 species
groups, and unchanged for 1 species groups. The
yellowfin tuna price index had the largest increase (158
percent) while haddock price index showed the largest
decrease (24 percent).

Processed Products

The estimated value of the 2008 domestic production of
edible and nonedible fishery products was $7.6 billion,
$794.9 million less than in 2007. The value of edible
products was $7.0 billiona decrease of $748.7 million
compared with 2007. The value of industrial products
was $565.8 million in 2008a decrease of $46.2 million
compared with 2007.

Foreign Trade

The total import value of edible and nonedible fishery
products was $28.5 billion in 2008a decrease of
$320.5 million compared with 2007. Imports of edible
fishery products (product weight) were 5.2 billion pounds
valued at $14.2 billion in 2008a decrease of 120.4
million pounds but an increase of $474.6 million compared
with 2007. Imports of nonedible (i.e., industrial)
products were $14.3 billiona decrease of $795.1
million compared with 2007.